Recreation/library facility to go referendum

VOP and SLRD asking for endorsement of $6.7 million loan

Once again, the question of Pemberton and Area Cs recreational needs is going out to the community. This time the query is being submitted to the electors in the form of a referendum during the Nov. 19 municipal election.

While the Village of Pemberton has not yet passed a resolution to accept the wording of the referendum, the fact that council has adopted the professional Environmental Recreation Consultants final report suggests it is little more than a formality.

The question, which appeared as part of bylaw 963, which was adopted by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, reads as follows: "Are you in favour of adoption of Pemberton/Area C Community Recreation Building Load Authorization No. 963-2005, which will permit the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District to borrow $6,721,860 repayable by taxation within the Village of Pemberton and electoral Area C over a period of twenty-five years for the purpose of assisting the financing of the new Area C/Pemberton Community Centre/Library Complex? Yes or No?"

The requested amount of the loan reflects the total cost of the $5.6 million project and a 15 per cent contingency that was added as a result of a VOP/Area C Joint Services Committee recommendation.

Area C director Susie Gimse said that the increased amount of the loan was to insure that the project did not fall prey to increased building costs.

The facility in question is a community centre featuring a 3,000 sq. ft. weight room with a 4,000 sq. ft. library attached. Neither an ice rink nor a pool, both of which were put forth as preferred recreational options in a series of community forums, is part of this plan. The addition of a library was the result of a recommendation by PERC as a proven strategy to increase the likelihood of referendum passage. The $5.6 million figure put forth in PERCs report also anticipated building cost increases of up to 12 per cent for 2006.

To offset costs, the VOP will attempt to access the $1.1 million provincial grant it received, but ultimately declined, earlier this year. (The funds were retuned when the community made it clear that a recreational facility without an ice arena was not acceptable.)

"Were meeting with the minister in the next week and a half and asking for an extension of the grant. The original terms were for a March 2006 completion date," said Mayor Elinor Warner. "And well also be asking for more money."

This plan to secure and increase provincial funding is in accordance with PERCs proposed financing strategy. However, the consultants had put forth the idea that the $1.1 million in library funding be treated as a separate issue, and the total amount borrowed for the community centre be $3,380,520.

Although she said that a negative outcome for the referendum will put the recreation issue "back to square one," the mayor believes putting the issue to a vote on Nov. 19 is the right way to proceed.

"Weve heard what people have said. They want us to go forward. They want an opportunity to vote on it," said Warner.